Codie Taylor winds down after the All Blacks' opener with weights. Photo / Getty Images
Codie Taylor winds down after the All Blacks' opener with weights. Photo / Getty Images
If the All Blacks' hard-fought victory over Argentina taught the world anything it is that the defending champions have retained their knack for getting out of tricky situations and that the game is now for 23 players, rather than 15.
The quality of the All Blacks' bench was a massive factor in their 26-16 win at Wembley Stadium, but there is now an expectation that the men numbered 16-23 will provide an impact once they take the field.
Sonny Bill Williams, Beauden Barrett and Charlie Faumuina were the standouts, but Sam Cane, Wyatt Crockett and Victor Vito added their own flavour and if the All Blacks are to go deep into this tournament it is the bench which is likely to take them there.
For coach Steve Hansen it's all a question of what is best for the team rather than the individual. Asked if tighthead prop Charlie Faumuina, who was his busiest best in his first test of the year when coming on after 50 minutes, is putting pressure on Owen Franks, Hansen said the difference was becoming negligible.
"We got what we expected from Charlie," Hansen said of the Blues player returning from neck surgery. "He's coming along really well. Is he putting pressure on Owen? We need two of them and that's the beauty of this team - we've got some depth. Being able to bring on a guy like Charlie after Owen has done some of the hard work is a big advantage to us. Whether Charlie starts and Owen comes off the bench - it's really a nothing, it's just a number on a back, because they're both capable of starting."
Conrad Smith sorry for yellow card
Asked about the performance of his replacements against the Pumas, Hansen said: "I thought they were pretty good last night. Both front rowers were great, Sonny was very good, Beauden going back to fullback allowed us to make a tactical shift and move Benny [Smith] to the wing. And they didn't get a lot of time, Sammy and Victor, but both of them played in some major moments when they were out there."
Midfielder Conrad Smith's return from his yellow card coincided with Williams' introduction and the pair gelled immediately. Smith, eager to make up for his indiscretion, took full advantage of the metres Williams was able to make with his charges and offloads.
Waisake Naholo lifts the big weights during the All Blacks gym session. Photo / Getty Images
Smith said: "The impact of the bench now can sway games. You can feel under the pump and feeling like the game's not going your way and a couple of guys might bring some more energy and a different way of looking at something, they might have messages from the coaches, whatever it is they can shift the whole way the game is being played and swing it back in your favour."
Hansen: Japan 'opened the eyes of rugby'
The All Blacks not involved against the Pumas are likely to start against Namibia at London's Olympic Stadium on Thursday, and they will also be relied on for preparation for the tougher games ahead.
"We have an eight-day turnaround [between Namibia and Georgia] ... so we'll have an extra training day that week and it will probably be pretty physical I should imagine, and get ourselves right that way," Hansen said. "[We will] use the quality of the people we have in the squad to train against, which I think is one of the big advantages of what we've got.
"The guys that have got the Pool of Death, for example - if they go all the way they've got some big games week after week after week and there are disadvantages in that as well. "It might mean we're fresher - we just have to make sure we're not under-prepared when we get there."
